Electrical current routing device



B. DREYFUS-ALAIN ELECTRICAL CURRENT ROUTING DEVICE Filed Aug. '7, 1961 Dec. 2s, 1965 FIGA @m United States Patent O 3,226,604 ELECTRICAL CURRENT ROUTNG DEVICE Bertrand Dreyfus-Alain, Sevres, Seine et Oise, France, assignor to Societe dElectronique et dAutomatisme, Seine, France Filed Aug. 7, 1961, Ser. No. 129,766 Claims priority, application France, Sept. 16, 1960,

838,873, Patent 1,274,667 5 Claims. (Cl. 317-137) The present invention concerns improvements in or relating to electrical current routing devices of the kind wherein an electrical current applied to a conductor of a first array of conductors may be translated to a conductor of a second array of conductors by selective control of contacts between the conductors of said two arrays. Preferably any conductor of the first array can be connected to any conductor of the second array, and consequently an electrical current applied to any conductor of the rst array can be translated to any conductor of the second array and issues from said conductor of the second array.

It is the object of the invention to so provide such an electrical current routing device that its operative answer is very fast each time an activation of selective closure of contacts between the two arrays of conductors occurs.

It is a further object of the invention that this fast response is obtained for control activation currents of low value with respect to the value of the translated electrical currents between the conductors of the arrays.

It is a further object of the invention to so provide said electrical current translating device that it presents in one dimension at least, a reduced volume with respect to the value of the translated currents and the number of contacts which may be made in the device.

According to the invention, an electrical current routing device comprises two arrays of insulating carrier ribbons which, in one of said arrays at least are flexible and maintained taut at close proximity to the ribbons of the other of said arrays. With different orientations of the ribbons from one of the arrays to those of the other array, an arrangement is dened in which there are a plurality of spatial crossing points therebetween. Each ribbon is provided at each such place with a conductive contact and a flat solenoidal coil, the contacts in one array receiving the electrical currents to be routed and the contacts in the other array being connected to pick-up terminals of the routed currents. The coils in both arrays receive the electrical control currents for the selective closures of contacts from electrical attraction between the coils which are simultaneously energized by said control currents and the consequent deformation at such places of the flexible carrier ribbons to which said coils are attached.

According to a further feature of the invention, in each ribbon the electrical contacts and the coils are respectively serially connected in separate circuits for the currents to be translated and for the control currents activating the selective translation from the rst to the second array of conductors.

Preferably further, according to another feature of the invention, the solenoidal flat coils are made on the insulating ribbons by a so-called printed-circuit technique, and the contacts are made from conductive wires glued to the said ribbons and electrically insulated from the said printed-circuit coils thereon.

These and further features will be explained in full detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an illustrative example of an electrical current routing device according to the invention, in an electrical representation with a reduced number of possible transfer contact points for the sake of clarity;

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the two faces of a ribbon carrying the coils for the arrangement of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 shows an example of a contact wire carrying ribbon for coaction with the coil carrying ribbon of FIGS. 2 and 3; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 respectively show two cross sectional views of a part of the device of FIG. l, made according to the arrangements of FIGS. 2 to 4, FIG. 5 in a rest position of the device and FIG. 6 in an actuated position of the device.

From this illustrative example can be deduced any modification of reduction to practice which may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

The device shown comprises sixteen contact points between two orthogonal arrays, each of four conductors, 3-13-23-33 and 4-14-24-34 respectively. On conductor 3 are shown four contacts 7, 47, 87 and 127, on conductor 13, four contacts 17, 57, 97 and 137, on conductor 23, four contacts 27, 67, 107, and 147, on conductor 33, four contacts 37, 77, 117 and 157. Similarly on conductor 4 are shown four contacts S, 18, 28 and 33, arranged to cooperate with the four contacts 7, 17, 27 and 37, respectively, on conductor 14, four contacts 48, 58, 68 and 73, arranged to cooperate with the four contacts 47, 57, 67 and 77, on conductor 24, four contacts 88, 98, 108 and 118, arranged to cooperate with the four contacts 37, 97, 1117 and 117, and finally on conductor 34, four contacts 128, 138, 14S and 158, arranged to respectively cooperate with the four contacts 127, 137, 147 and 157. As it will appear from the embodiment of FIG- URES 2 to 6 inclusive, said contacts may be formed integrally with the conductors 3, 13, 23 and 33 and 4, 14, 24 and 34. The conductors may be round wires of bare conductive material. On the other hand, said contacts may be separate elements braised to liat conductors when required and said conductors may be insulated by thin lm insulation if necessary.

Said two arrays of conductors are maintained taut in two closely spaced parallel planes. Each conductor is for instance carried by a dielectric strip or ribbon to which it is glued. Referring to FIG. 4, such a strip is shown at 111 for the conductor 3 which is for instance a silver wire glued to the strip by an epoxy resin including latex therein. The strip may be, for instance, of a material such as the one known under the trade-mark Mylan the conductor is coated with a glue of the above mentioned latex plus epoxy resin composition, then applied over the Mylar strip; after the glue has dried, a slight abrasion is made for cleaning the outer surface of the silver wire of any trace of glue so that a conductive path is neatly available on said conductor.

Rows of flat solenoidal coils, which are serially connected in each row, are then provided on the rear of the conductor strips, being insulated from the conductors carried by the opposite side of the strips. Conductor 3 is associated with the electric control line 1 comprising the four coils 5, 45, and 125 behind the four contacts or contact Iplaces 7, 47, 77 and 127. Conductor 13 is associated with the control line 11 comprising the four coils 15, 55, 95 and 135. Conductor 23 is associated with the control line 21 comprising the four coils 25, 65, and 145. Conductor 33 is associated with the control line 31 comprising the four coils 35, 75, 115 and 155. In the other array, conductor 4 is associated with the control line 2 comprising the fourcoils 6, 16, 26 and 36. Conductor 14 is associated with the control line 12, comprising the four coils 46, 56, 66 and 76. Conductor 24 is associated with the control line 22 comprising the coils 86, 96, 106 and 116.

Conductor 34 is associated with the control line'32 cornprising the coils 126, 136, 146 and 156. The coils of the arrays cooperate by pairs 5 and 6, 15 and 16, and so forth so that when both cooperating coils are energized 4by control currents, they attract each other and produce the closure of the contacts they actuate. With one conductor of one array feed-ing one of said contacts with an electrical current, said current will be translated to the corresponding conductor of the other array. Actually, for maintaining closure of a pair of contacts from the energization of their associated coils, the current requirements are less than that necessary to produce the initial attraction of the coils.

Each control line may be made as shown lin FIGS. 2 and 3. A dielectric strip 110, similar to the strip 111 of FIG. 4, is printed both faces with solenoidal coils 51, 451, 851, 1251 on one face, FlG. 2, 52, 452, S52, 1252 on the other face, FIG. 3. Said coils are connected through the insulating material lby means of metallized throughconnections for instance; as clearly visible on the crosssections of FIGS. 5 and 6. The electrical continuity of the control line is ensured by metal deposits 11, 13 and 15 on one face, 12 and 14 on the other face. The structure of the associated contacts plus control lines is apparent from FIGS. 5 and 6. Each structure constitutes a ilexible mechanically unitary member of elongated form, which is what has been called a ribbon in the beginning of the specitication. The mounting of such ribbons in a tautening frame is not shown as it does not imply any special provision. It must merely be understood that the length of the insulating ribbon on either side of the contact and control coil locations must be suicient for avoiding unwanted slackening of the ribbons, and that the xation of said ribbons may preferably be ensured by elastic tautening means.

As said, only one array needs to be flexible, this modication is too obvious to be shown, it may merely consist of applying said array over a rigid plate when required.

Considering FIGS. 5 and 6, when, for instance, the line 1 is energized and also the line 22, the coils 45 and 46 will attract each other and produce a local deformation of the strips producing a closure of contacts between the conductors 3 and 14. The electrical current from 3 will pass to the conductor 14. At the other places, where the coils 5, 85 and 125 are fed with a control current but where the coils 6, 86 and 126 are not fed, no attraction will appear and consequently no mechanical deformation. The current from 3 will not be translated t0 the conductors 4, 24 and 34.

Instead of serially connecting contacts and/or coils, as herein above described, the contacts and/ or the coils may be left separate and may be separately fed and controlled, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A current routing system comprising in combination:

(l) a rst plurality of insulating strips arranged in substantially parallel rows;

(2) a second plurality of strips also arranged in substantially parallel rows equal in number and located adjacent but spaced from said iirst strips, said second strips being oriented with respect to said first to deiine thereith a plurality of crossing points therebetween;

(3) a plurality of contacts arranged at spaced intervals along said strips and located in facing relation at said crossing points so as to be capable of electrical contact at said crossing points upon deection of at least one of said strips toward another in the other plurality of strips; and,

(4) a plurality of coils carried by said strips on the side reverse from that carrying said contacts, said coils being located at said crossing points; whereby energization of a pair of said coils located at a given crossing point produces deection of at least one of said strips and establishes an electrical connection between the contacts at said crossing point.

2. The combination dened by claim 1 in which said coils are printed on said strips.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which said coils are connected in series on each strip.

4. The combination of claim 2 in which said contacts are connected in series on each strip.

5. The combination defined by claim 1 including a rigid backing plate and wherein one plurality of said strips is mounted on said backing plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 367,332 7/1887 Baxter 340-166 1,547,964 7/ 1925 Seniat 340--147 2,294,457 9/ 1942 Holden 340-166 2,931,954 4/1960 Diesel 317-137 3,059,075 10/ 1962 Peek 200-87 3,099,727 7/ 1963 Hjertstrand 200-87 SAMUEL BERNSTEIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CURRENT ROUTING SYSTEM COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (1) A FIRST PLURALITY OF INSULATING STRIPS ARRANGED IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL ROWS; (2) A SECOND PLURALITY OF STRIPS ALSO ARRANGED IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL ROWS EQUAL IN NUMBER AND LOCATED ADJACENT BUT SPACED FROM SAID FIRST STRIPS, SAID SECOND STRIPS BEING ORIENTED WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST TO DEFINE THEREOTH A PLURALITY OF CROSSING POINTS THEREBETWEEN; (3) A PLURALITY OF CONTACTS ARRANGED AT SPACED INTERVALS ALONG SAID STRIPS AND LOCATED IN FACING RELATION AT SAID CROSSING POINTS SO AS TO BE CAPABLE OF ELCTRICAL CONTACT AT SAID STRIPS TOWARD ANOTHER IN THE OTHER LEAST ONE OF SAID STRIPS TOWARD ANOTHER IN THE OTHER PLURALITY OF STRIPS; AND, (4) A PLURALITY OF COILS CARRIED BY SAID STRIPS ON THE SAID REVERSE FROM THAT CARRYING SAID CONTACTS, SAID COILS BEING LOCATED AT SAID CROSSING POINTS; WHEREBY ENERGIZATION OF A PAIR OF SAID COILS LOCATED AT A GIVEN CROSSING POINT PRODUCES DEFLECTION OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID STRIPS AND ESTABLISHES AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CONTACTS AT SAID CROSSING POINT. 